Dice-O-Matic

Dice rolling machine used by GamesByEmail.com to generate random dice rolls for play-by-email games. Capable of generating 1.3 million rolls per day.

http://GamesByEmail.com/News/DiceOMatic

• Category

  Gaming

[NightHunterClaws]

I love the concept of the dice-o-matic, but it doesn't seem to show any dice stopping. The practicality is non-existent, except from an artistic point of view, unless you make a small hole to let the occasional random die shoot out.

[snesin]

The dice never stop. They get their picture taken while in the buckets as they pass the camera (conveyor line camera, fast shutter speed). As practical as it gets for bulk true dice rolling.

[couchpatatoe51]

wonder how long those dice last.

[Alexander Borsi]

You didn't read anything I said, or watched the 11 minute video I posted. It explains what I mean, in way more detail than I can in 500 characters.

[Max Kingsbury]

"Computers do not do random", but human beings do. That is why timing keypresses can be just as random as particles from space.

I will consider it instructive that you did not provide any credentials.

[Alexander Borsi]

Computers do not do random. They are orderly and calculating machines. The timing cycles of the processor and subsystems mean that they have to do math to achieve 'random' values. This is why it is /dev/prnd (psudorandom) and not /dev/rnd. I do not have enough space here to fully explain it all, but there is a video which explains it all from someone who knows so much more about the subject than I ever hope to know about it. Look up "Random Numbers - Numberphile" and he will explain what I mean.

[Max Kingsbury]

I don't believe that you know what you're talking about. Credentials plz. I am an electrical engineer.

[Alexander Borsi]

Timing keypresses is psudorandom because it uses a modulus of those milliseconds between keypresses. Eventually if you make enough 'calls' you will be able to see a pattern emerge. The monitoring of the rays from space, not that truly is random. You don't have to use space rays, you can use any radioactive source and a geiger counter.

[Max Kingsbury]

I'm saying that the dice rolling is just a method of RNG. There's nothing really unique about using dice instead of the timing of keypresses or monitoring of rays from space. Sure, dice is an older method, but they are all just as "random".

[Novastar900]

Are you sure about this? Do you have any source? I think he just use the numbers of the dice as random numbers, without any RNG.

[Max Kingsbury]

But he is still using computers to generate his random numbers. The dice "create" the numbers, but they pass through a PC just like any other RNG method. You could use rays from space as your source, and it would involve just as much PC interaction.

[jschoof]

The pride of basement virgins everywhere.

[6Diego1Diego9]

where's ashy lerry?